At least 60 oil rig workers on the Jubilee oil production field offshore Ghana have tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
International oil firm Tullow which operates the field revealed this in a statement.
It said two of the cases were reported by the oil firm on Tuesday, while contact tracing led to one additional case on the production vessel FPSO Kwame Nkrumah, where 50 other workers tested negative.
“Also, as part of contact tracing, GHS (Ghana Health Service) tested personnel on board contractor support vessel CSV Lancelot and has confirmed that 57 of the 200 personnel tested positive for COVID-19.
“All affected people are being brought onshore for isolation and case management,” the statement said.
The company said it is enforcing enhanced social distancing on both vessels, with a permanent restriction of movement between the two vessels to minimize any potential for the spread of the virus.
The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ghana stood at 7,768 as of Saturday morning,
with 152 new infections reported overnight.
The Ghana Health Service data captured 119 new recoveries, increasing the number of recovered COVID-19 cases to 2,540.
The number of deaths has increased to 35, with one more death recorded among confirmed cases under treatment.
